Effective Literature Searching for Projects and Dissertations
Literature Review: Conducting the Literature Search · The literature review “a literature review...
20
Literature Review: Conducting the Literature Search Presentation by Andrea Harland, Reference Librarian for Engineering [email protected]
Transcript of Literature Review: Conducting the Literature Search · The literature review “a literature review...
Literature Review: Conducting
the Literature Search Presentation by Andrea Harland,
Reference Librarian for Engineering
What we will be convering
The literature review
Tools for doing your literature search
◦ Literature databases
◦ RefWorks
Search strategies
Locating the information
Getting help
25/02/2014 [email protected] 2
The literature review
“a literature review surveys scholarly articles, books and
other sources (e.g. dissertations, conference
proceedings) relevant to a particular issue, area of
research, or theory, providing a description, summary,
and critical evaluation of each work. The purpose of a
literature review is to offer an overview of significant
literature published on a topic.”
◦ http://library.concordia.ca/help/howto/litreview.php
Helpful sources for writing literature reviews:
◦ http://library.concordia.ca/research/subjects/techwriting/engineer
ingwriting.php
Why do a literature review?
To become more knowledgeable
Demonstrate your knowledge
Identify key researchers
Identify key publications
Identify key methodologies
Identify holes in knowledge
Identify keywords/subject vocabulary
Helps to delimit the research problem
Avoid areas already investigated
Justus J. Randolph. “A Guide to Writing the Dissertation Literature
Review” Practical Assessment, Research & Evaluation 14.13, 2009.
Wang, Wenping. "A Study of Force-Motion and Vibration Transmission Properties of Seated Body Under Vertical
Vibration and Effects of Sitting Posture." Concordia University (Canada), 2007.
Wang, Wenping. "A Study of Force-Motion and Vibration Transmission Properties of Seated Body Under Vertical
Vibration and Effects of Sitting Posture." Concordia University (Canada), 2007.
Wang, Wenping. "A Study of Force-Motion and Vibration Transmission Properties of Seated Body Under Vertical
Vibration and Effects of Sitting Posture." Concordia University (Canada), 2007.
REFERENCES
BOOKS
REVIEW OF
THE
LITERATURE
THESIS/
DISSERTATION
Wang, Wenping. "A Study of Force-Motion and Vibration Transmission Properties of Seated Body Under Vertical
Vibration and Effects of Sitting Posture." Concordia University (Canada), 2007.
STANDARDS
PEER
REVIEWED/
SCHOLARLY
JOURNAL
ARTICLES
Tools for the Literature Search:
Literature Databases Types
1. Bibliographic databases, providing citations
and abstracts. Ex: INSPEC & Compendex
(Engineering Village)
2. Format specific databases. Ex:
Proquest Dissertation & Theses
3. Fulltext databases & publisher databases. Ex:
IEEE Xplore
25/02/2014 [email protected] 9
Li, Lin. "The Advances and Characteristics of High-Power Diode
Laser Materials Processing." Optics and Lasers in Engineering
34.4-6 (2000): 231-53.
Tools for the Lit Search:
Literature Databases (cont’nd) Types (continued):
4. Citation databases.
Ex: Web of Science & Scopus
5. Search engines. Ex: Google Scholar
6. Location specific databases. Ex: CLUES
(Concordia Libraries’ online catalogue),
WorldCat
25/02/2014 [email protected] 10
Research/scholarly information
25/02/2014 [email protected] 11
CLUES
Engineering
Village (INSPEC
+ Compendex +
Geobase)
IEEE Xplore
Google Scholar
How to find and access databases
Library homepage
◦ http://library.concordia.ca
Subject guides
◦ http://library.concordia.ca/#browseSubject_tab
The Internet
◦ http://scholar.google.ca/
◦ http://guides.library.cornell.edu/orie
Talk to a subject librarian
25/02/2014 [email protected] 12
Search Strategies
You need to choose a topic for your research
Write a concise research question
Identify important terms, concepts, keywords to create your search strategy
Example: “What are the effects of mass transportation on global climate change?” Key concepts?
Nice guide: http://libguides.asu.edu/content.php?pid=35423&sid=2167283
25/02/2014 [email protected] 13
Tools for the Lit Search: RefWorks
Accessing RefWorks
http://library.concordia.ca/help/howto/refworks.php
Your turn
Topic: flexible forming of sheet metal using
lasers
1. Find concepts
2. Try searching Compendex/INSPEC (via
Engineering Village)
3. Try searching Web of Science
4. Try searching ProQuest Dissertations &
Abstracts
25/02/2014 [email protected] 17
Locating your sources
Click on “Find it @ Concordia”
Search title of article in “quotes” (add author’s
name if necessary) in Google –must have
VPN if off campus
Check CLUES: http://clues.concordia.ca/
◦ Journal title
◦ Conference title
◦ Book title
25/02/2014 [email protected] 18
Todd, Litman. “Bicycling and transportation demand
management”. Transportation Research Record 1441 (1994): 134-
140.
Locating your sources
What to do if Concordia doesn’t have
what you want and you can’t find it on the
Web?
◦ CREPUQ card http://library.concordia.ca/services/circulation/crepuq.html
◦ Interlibrary Loans (Colombo)
http://library.concordia.ca/research/ill/
25/02/2014 [email protected] 19
Getting help
Library website
Subject guides
Ask a Librarian services
25/02/2014 [email protected] 20
